Abu Dhabi: H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of Investopia, announced the details of the upcoming edition of the Investopia summit, which will be held in Abu Dhabi on 28 and 29 of February, 2024, under the theme “Emerging Economic Frontiers: Investing in Fast-Growing Sectors in the New Economy.” It is set to draw the participation of a number of prominent local and international figures including investors, government officials, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs.The announcement was made during a press conference held recently, in the presence of Investopia partners, and more than 75 officials and investors from the government and private sectors at the local, regional, and global levels. The press conference witnessed the signing of eight MoUs between Investopia and its prominent partners for the third edition, which includes the General Civil Aviation Authority in the UAE (GCAA), “SALT”, a global forum for entrepreneurship and investment, EFG Consulting, Standard Chartered Bank, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and Citibank, who will collaborate in organizing Investopia 2024.H.E. Bin Touq said: “The Investopia summit is one of the most important projects of the UAE in transitioning towards the new economic model and stimulating investment in future economic sectors. The summit has succeeded in presenting a unique and innovative model for global investment events, and building partnerships with global institutions and companies. Investopia will continue its vital role as an influential player in the regional and international investment arena, generating opportunities in new economic sectors and strengthening the link between global business communities and the UAE, one of the fastest-growing global investment and trade hubs.”Elaborating on the latest edition of Investopia, H.E. Bin Touq said that it focuses on three main themes: Global Dialogues, Investment Communities and Investopia Marketplace. Under the first theme, dialogue sessions and events will be organized with the participation of business leaders, investors and innovators from all over the world. They will discuss key topics that are shaping the global investment ecosystem strategies for risk capital transactions, job creation and growth potential for a low-carbon economy and the new generation of investment. Opportunities to expand into new economic sectors, particularly advanced technologies for the aviation sector, renewable energy, circular economy and modern technologies used in supply chains will also be discussed.He added: "The second axis of Investopia contributes to promoting dialogue between investors and decision makers in governments and the private sector globally and in specific economic sectors. Meanwhile, the third one focuses on enhancing the use of the Investopia Marketplace platform, which connects capital and investment funds around the world and provides the largest investment opportunity database."He added: "The new Investopia summit, to be held in Abu Dhabi, will feature a series of events and activities, including several interactive sessions and closed roundtables at the government level on investment opportunities in the UAE market as well as regional and global markets. It will also highlight the shifts in the global investment climate in light of developments that have created new economic concepts of virtual reality and green and sustainable economies and their implications for investment priorities in critical sectors. These include food technology, clean energy, climate technology and modern technologies associated with the transport, shipping and logistics sector. "During the press conference, H.E. Bin Touq also reviewed Investopia’s achievements since its inception in 2021, including eight rounds of global dialogues and discussions in prominent strategic markets, such as New York, Geneva, New Delhi, Mumbai, Cairo, Rabat, Havana and Milan, as well as the signing of 10 partnerships with global institutions and companies. Moreover, Investopia has successfully increased the number of participants in its events from 800 key local and global personalities from investors, government officials, decision makers and entrepreneurs in 2022 to 800 in 2023, with access to more than 350 executives and officials in 2023 compared to 200 executives in 2022. It also succeeded in increasing the number of participating countries from 45 in 2022 to 58 in 2023, and 150 speakers, reflecting the Summit’s growing potential in connecting the UAE with business communities at the local, regional and global levels, and creating new economic opportunities that promote global economic growth.The conference also highlighted the global dialogues that Investopia 2024 is set to organize in collaboration with its partners throughout the year, most notably the UAE-India Investopia in Dubai, the Investopia London event in the city of London, as well as the Investopia Europe event to be held in the Italian trade capital, Milan.

 Citi announced the recent appointment of Maria Ivanova as Citi Country Officer (CCO) for the United Arab Emirates. Maria will also assume the role of the Senior Executive Officer for Citibank NA DIFC, Citibank NA ADGM and Citigroup Global Markets Limited, DIFC branch.As CCO UAE, Maria will oversee all Citi’s businesses and operations across all the legal entities based in the UAE. She will work closely with the UAE management team and with Shamsa Al-Falasi, CEO of Citibank, N.A. UAE Onshore Branch to drive a client-centric growth strategy in the market while maintaining a robust control environment.Maria joined Citi in 1996 as a Corporate Banking Relationship Manager. Throughout her career, she has held various leadership roles including in Trade Finance and the Global Subsidiaries Group. Prior to assuming this current role, Maria was the Chief Operating Officer in Citi Russia and has served up till recently as Citi Country Officer for Russia.Commenting on her new role, Maria said: "I am delighted to lead our bank in the UAE and work together with our seasoned team of bankers on the ground to drive growth and success. With a full suite of banking and wealth management services, UAE is one of the flagship franchises for Citi globally, and I am looking forward to furthering our growth strategy and delivering the highest standards of products and services to our clients."In this new role, Maria’s remit extends to working closely with the Middle East & Africa (MEA) cluster leadership team to continue to develop and grow the businesses operating in the UAE, serving the rest of the MEA cluster. Ebru Pakcan, Cluster and Banking Head for the Middle East & Africa said, "We are pleased that Maria has assumed the responsibility of driving our business in the UAE. Maria has a strong track record of developing and implementing business strategy, consistent delivery of financial performance and a client-centric mindset. Her wealth of experience will be fully leveraged to tap growth opportunities in the UAE.”The UAE serves as the regional hub for Citi’s Middle East & Africa Cluster covering 29 markets. Citi UAE offers a full spectrum of financial services including Corporate & Investment Banking, Capital Markets, Sales & Trading, Transactions Services, Private Banking and Commercial Banking. In addition, it serves as one of Citi’s four global Wealth Management centers and continues to be a major player in local consumer services.

Dubai: Citi announced the appointment of Shamsa Al-Falasi as Chief Executive Officer of Citibank, N.A. UAE Onshore Branch, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), subject to regulatory approvals. Shamsa will also assume the role of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) UAE across all Citi entities operating onshore & offshore in the country.Al-Falasi is a seasoned banker with almost two decades of experience at Citi. She joined the bank as a graduate in 2004 and has since worked across many geographies including Dublin, London and Sao Paulo, before being appointed as Senior Business and Relationship Manager for the MENA and Turkey region based in the UAE.In 2015, Al-Falasi was appointed as Head of the Global Subsidiaries Group (GSG) for the UAE and Iraq, a role that was expanded in 2018 to include regional responsibilities as Head of GSG in GCC and Iraq based in the UAE. Since the beginning of 2023, Shamsa has served as interim Citi Country Officer (CCO) and interim CEO of Citibank, N.A. UAE Onshore Branch. She will continue to serve as Interim CCO until a permanent appointment is made.Commenting on her new role, Shamsa said: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to be the first Emirati woman to lead Citi’s UAE onshore businesses and operations and contribute to the overall franchise performance. We have a seasoned team in the country, and together we will continue to provide the highest standards of products and services to our clients."Ebru Pakcan, CEO of Citi’s Middle East and Africa Cluster said: "This is a landmark appointment which testifies to Shamsa’s talent and leadership skills. Citi UAE is the bank flagship franchise in the Middle East and Africa region offering a full spectrum of institutional banking and wealth management services, and with Shamsa’s elevation, I am sure the franchise will continue on a trajectory of growth and success.”The UAE serves as the regional hub for Citi’s Middle East & Africa Cluster covering 59 markets. Citi UAE offers a full spectrum of financial services including Corporate & Investment Banking, Capital Markets, Sales & Trading, Transactions Services, Private Banking and Commercial Banking. In addition, it serves as one of Citi’s four global Wealth Management centers and continues to be a major player in local consumer credit services.